Mum hailed as hero after dying trying to save children in murder-suicide

She was shot dead by her partner on Anzac Day
- byNew Idea

01 May
2017

Getty

The woman who was shot dead by her partner in Wangaratta, Victoria on Anzac Day is being hailed a hero after it was revealed she died trying to save her children's lives.

Ora Holt's grieving sister says the 39-year-old sacrificed herself when Holt's partner, Greg Floyd, tried to chase the family down with a rifle.

"She did everything for her children," Brenna Dunne told Channel Nine, before going on to say that Holt got her two younger children to run away while herself and the older child held the back door shut to keep Floyd out.

"The oldest [child] was helping her mum hold the backdoor to keep the dad from coming inside to hurt them and then just running for their lives and then their mum telling them just to run," she said.

"The kids have also said once she was out, she kind of went back, and I think that was probably just to give them more time to run."

Neighbour, Luke, who was home at the time and tried to stop Floyd from using the gun, told The Age that in the three years he had lived beside the couple, he had never heard them argue.

"[Floyd] spent as much time with the kids and family when he wasn't working," he said.

"You wouldn't have picked it. I'm still trying to figure out where it came from. Ora was just a peaceful, calm mum of four kids."

Once shooting Holt, Floyd then killed himself. The three children survived and are now in the care of their grandparents and a GoFundMe page, which has now closed, has raised over $13,000 for the children's upbringing.

For support and information about suicide prevention, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14.